Nebulizers Vs. Inhalers for Childhood Asthma

Nebulizers Vs. Inhalers for Childhood Asthma

Male: Most of these medicines we treat an asthmatic outside of the tabloids are -- by either nebulization or an inhaler device.

Alfin G. Vicencio: Yes.

Male: Can you tell me the advantages of both or disadvantages?

Alfin G. Vicencio: Sure. The advantages of the nebulizer therapy are the easy delivery. It’s something you put a mask on a child and turn the machine on and that’s something that a lot of families prefer to use for their younger children. A disadvantage is the length of therapy and the fact that you have to carry around some equipment in order to use these machines. They are very effective. You do lose a lot of the medication in the air but that’s compensated by the amount of medications that they give.

Another mode of therapy is called the metered-dose inhaler which is an inhaler that has a propellant and the medication is delivered very, very quickly. So, one of the advantages of that is the particle size is small enough that it actually goes very far into the airways and the medication becomes very portable, you can stick in your pocket. And the length of the treatment is minimal compared to this -- of a nebulizer.

Some of the disadvantages of that are a lot of people use those medications incorrectly. And if you use those medications incorrectly then a lot of that medication can end up in your tongue or in your mouth or get swallowed. I’m sorry.


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